Planter



March 12, 1940. G, M, KREGBAUM 2,192,977

PLANTER Filed Dec. 2. 1937 lzwezztor Geo ryeMKTz'ggbau/fz Patented Mar. 12, 1940 UNITED STATES -ATENT OFFICE PLANTER George M. Kriegbaum, Richmond, Ind., assigner to International Harvester Company, a corporation of New Jersey Application December 2, 1937, Serial No. 177,677

1 Claim.

weather conditions, by deeper planting. ByA

spreading the seed in furrows of varying depths the weather factor as affecting the yield of plant seedlings is largely eliminated.

The principal object of the invention is to provide in connection with a cotton planter a furrow opener which is effective to make furrows in l5 the ground of varying depths.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a furrow opener on a cotton planter frame which will continuously move up and down with respect to the frame.

Another object is to provide a furrow opener on a cotton planter frame which moves up and down with respect to the frame in response to movement of the frame over the ground.

A further object of the invention is the provision of the furrow opener on a wheel supported cotton planter frame which moves up and down with respect to the frame in response to rotation of one of the wheels supporting the frame.

According to the present invention, a hoe element is loosely attached to the seed boot of a wheel-supported cotton planter. A leveris pivoted to the planter and has one end connected to the seed boot and its other end arranged to follow a cam mounted to rotate with the front Wheels. The cam is so shaped that, as the planter moves over the ground and the front wheels and the cam rotate, an up and down movement is given to the hoe element. Thus, as the planter is moved over the ground, the hoe element produces iurrows of varying depths, and cotton seed is planted at varying depths.

It is to be understood that this invention is not limited to furrow openers on vcotton planters but may be applied wherever it is desirable to have a ground-working tool mounted on a planter move up and down with respect to the planter.

In the drawing, the invention is illustrated, for example, in connection with a cotton planter, and:

Figure l shows a side elevation of the cotton planter, partly in section and,

Figure 2 shows a detail of a modified form of planter.

The planter consists essentially of a frame formed of two longitudinally extending members Il) supported on a front planter Wheel II and a rear wheel I2. The members IU are fastened on either side of the wheels. A cam member I3 is mounted coaxially with the planter wheel between the frame members IIJ. A lever I4 is piv- 5 otally mounted between its ends on the frame members on a dependent projection I5. The forward end of this lever is arranged to follow the cam i3 through a follower I6. Rearwardly of the frame members, a seed container II is positioned 10 and, extending downwardly therefrom between l the frame members, is a seed boot I8. A soil working element in the form of a hoe element I9 is loosely connected to the seed boot by means of links 2U and 2|. Extending upwardly from the 15 hoe element I9 at the point of attachment of the link 2| is a member 22 which connects the hoe element with the rear end of the lever I 4. A coil spring 23 extends between this end of the lever and the frame members. A handle member `20 Zt extends upwardly from the frame members adjacent the seed boot. A brace 25 keeps the handle member 2li in iixed position with respect to the frame members.

The operation of the planter is as follows: As 25 the planter is moved along the ground, the cam I3 rotates with the planter wheel II. The follower i6 is held in contact with the cam through the action of the spring 23, and, as the cam rotates, the lever moves up and down, with the follower riding ov`er the lobes of the cam. Thus, an up and down movement is given to the hoe element Iii andthe ground is worked to a varying depth, as shown in the figures. Seed is dropped from the-seed boot I8 continuously along the 35 ground and, as previously explained, a better yield is obtained by this method of planting.

The attachment of the hoe element I9 to the seed boot by means of the links 20 and ZI is quite iiexible and allows the furrow opener a very satisfactory freedom of movement.

Figure 2 shows a modified form in which a lever lll follows the cam member I3 directly instead of by means of a follower. Otherwise, this modification is identical with that shown in Figure 1. 45

It will be understood that the invention is not limited to cotton planters, but may be applied 4wherever it is desirable to have a ground-working tool move up and down in the soil as the tool is moved across the soil. 50

The invention is to be considered limited only in the terms of the appended claim. What is claimed is: A planter comprising a frame, wheels supporting the frame, a cam member mounted on the of the links to the seed boot, a spring connecting the hoe element and the frame, and a lever pvotally attached between its ends to the frame and having one end in engagement with the cam as a follower and the other end attached to the 5 hoe element.

GEORGE M. KRIEGBAUM. 

